Folding cradle



g, otros.

L. K. SELDEN, OF HADDAM, CONNEGTCUT.

FOLDING CRADLE.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 24,142, dated May 24, 1859.

To all whom it may cof/wem: n

Be it known that I, L. K. SELDEN, of Haddam, in the county of Middlesex and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and Improved Folding Cradle; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which- Figure l represents a plan or top view of the frame of my cradle when unfolded and ready to receive the bedding. Fig. 2 is an end view of ditto. Fig. 3 is an end view of the same when folded up. Figs. 4: and 5 are cross sections of the bars, used to steadyv the frame, when unfolded, and to attach the canvas which receives the bedding.

Similar letters of reference in the several figures indicate corresponding parts.

This invention consists in constructing the cradle frame in such a manner that the same folds up into the length of one of the rockers, the several rockers beino slotted so as to form guides for slides to wzhich the several bottom braces and the cross bars are attached which are united by pivots, and the longitudinal bars are constructed of two parts which are fastened together and to the cross-bars by means of pivots and which are made rigid by means of sleeves, which can be drawn over the joints, and the whole is steadied by means of top bars fitting over the ends of the upright cross-bars and of the longitudinal bars, which also serve to support the canvas lining.

To enable those skilled in the art to fully understand, make and use my invention lI will proceed to describe its construction and operation.

The rollers A are constructed of wood or metal and curved down in the middle as clearly represented in Figs. 2 and 3, and I use two or more rockers according to the size and strength of the cradle to be constructed. Both ends of each of the rockers are provided with slots, a, which form guides for the slides, Z), and o, to which the bottom braces, B, are united by means of pivots, c, and these braces are connected in their centers by pivots d, so that they open or close as the slides are drawn out or in. The slides, b', in the slots of the middle rocker are made of a simple plate, c', secured to the ends of the bottom braces, B, by means of the pivots, c, the plates being placed under the rocker and the ends of the braces on the top, the pivots extending through the slots, a. The slides, Z), on the other hand, which move in the slots, a, of the two end rockers, consist of plates, cl, placed under the rockers and united by means of the pivots, c, with the angular standards, cl, and with the ends of the bottom braces, B, and pivoted to the vertical parts of the standards, CZ, are the upright cross-bars, C, which are united in their centers by means of pivots, e, and attached to the upper ends of these bars are several heads, f, which form the supports for the longitudinal bars, D, and for the top bars, E. The longitudinal bars are connected to the several heads, f, by means of pivots, g,

and each of these bars consists of two parts,

which are united in the center by means of pivots so that the same can be folded as represented in Fig. 3, or brought in line as represented in Fig. l, and in this latter position they are made rigid by means of sleeves, z', which can be drawn over the joint as plainly represented in Fig. l, or which can be pushed back as represented in Fig. 3, if the cradle is to be folded. The ends of the longitudinal bars, D, are connected by the top bars, E, which may either be hinged to one endl of the upright cross* bars, C, as plainly represented at y' in Fig. l, and in this case the other end of the top bar is provided with a hook, 7c, which ts over the swivel head, f, which is secured in the end of the other one of the upright bars, C, on the same side of the cradle, or these top bars may be of a shape as represented in Fig. 5, in transverse section, the ends being provided with slots which hook o-ver the swivel heads, and over the ends of the upright bars, C, to which they are connected. These top bars serve to support the canvas lining which is fastened to the same by means of a series of small holes and which is near to the edge of these bars, and which in its turn serves to receive the bedding. This lining may either be made of simple cloth or it may be stuffed and quilted'if desired so' as to give the whole a nice and ornamental appearance.

The operation is as follows: If the cradle is to be folded the sleeves, z', are withdrawn from the joint of the longitudinal bars, D, and the top bars, E are taken off and the rockers can now be brought close up one to the other by drawing the slides, o and o', out to the ends of the slots, a, in the rockers, and the uprightcross-bars together with the longitudinal bars fold up to a po.- sition represented in Fig. 3.V In this position the cradle can be stored away in a small space which is Very convenient as cradles are, generally, in use only once in a while. use nothing is necessary bfutto compress the slides, b, in the two end rockers, and the bottom braces, together with ,the upright cross-bars will spread to a position represented in Figs. l and 2 and the longitudinal bars are made rigid by drawing the sleeves, z', over the joints as clearly represented in Fig. l, and if the topv bars be now placed over the ends of the upright cross-bars, as above described, the whole structure is made rigid and ready for use.

In order to fix it up ready for What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is l. The rockers, A, ofva cradle arranged with slots, a, or their equivalents and oper- Y ating in combination with the blottom braces, B, the upright cross-bars, C, the longitudinal bars, D, and the top bars, E, substantially in the manner and for the purpose herein specified.

2. The arrangement of the slides, Z), in combination with the bottom braces, B, and with the upright cross-bars, C, to operate substantially`Y as and for the purpose de- 

